Ridgefield
Ridgefield, WA 98642-8366
Plan Your Visit
Visit Us
Discover scenic landscapes and opportunities to view wildlife within a short drive of the Portland-Vancouver metro area. A close-by escape from the city, the Refuge provides a home for local animals and plants that live here year-round, as well as those that migrate in for a season. With every visit there is the opportunity to experience something new or expand your learning of what may be familiar to you.
If you are local to the Ridgefield area and need transportation to the refuge, visit C-Tran's website to learn how to use it's $1 on-demand rideshare service, The Current.
For updates on closures please visit the Refuge home page. Staff periodically need to close the Refuge for a variety of maintenance needs to support wildlife, habitat health, and visitor uses. These closures are often weather dependent and may come with short notice.
The refuge is a fee site ($3/day). Learn more about the entrance fee and passes available on the Pass Details page.
Locations
Carty Unit
Refuge Office, Community Nature Center and Oaks to Wetlands Trail
(28908 NW Main Avenue Ridgefield, WA 98642-8366)
This is the Refuge's main entrance, and provides access to the Refuge Office, Community Nature Center and Oaks to Wetlands trail. Amenities include two ADA
restrooms with running water, open all hours the refuge is, with additional restrooms available when the Community Nature Center and Office are open. Visit the Detailed Hours section to learn when the trails, office, and community nature center are open to the public.
River S Unit
Auto Tour Route, Kiwa Trail and Hunt Units
(1071 S Hillhurst Rd Ridgefield, WA 98642)
Provides access to the year-round Auto Tour Route, seasonal Kiwa trail, and seasonally to the Waterfowl Hunting Units. Amenities include two sets of ADA vault toilets; no running water and a visitor kiosk.
Port Entrance
Carty Lake Trail (also accessible via the Carty Unit)
This entrance is on the property of the Port of Ridgefield and provides seasonal pedestrian access to the Carty Unit trail system from May 1st through September 30th. From October through April, the entrance pavilion and Lake River overlook are accessible without a fee.
You can pay your entrance fee or buy an annual pass using recreation.gov. To purchase a Refuge Annual Pass when the office is closed, place $15 cash or check in a fee envelope at the site. Interagency passes can be purchased with cash or check and identification at the office during regular business hours.
Available lifetime passes include the Senior Pass (for those 62 and older) and the Access Pass (for those with a permanent disability). Veteran's and Gold Star Families also qualify for specific pass programs.
Refuge Office, Nature Center, Oaks to Wetlands Trail
(28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642)
- From Interstate 5 take Exit 14 for Pioneer Street/ Washington 501 W toward Ridgefield.
- Coming from the north turn right for NW 269th/Pioneer Street
- Coming from the south turn left for NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- At the first traffic circle, continue straight on NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- At the second traffic circle, continue straight on NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- At the Main Street traffic light take a right. Continue on N Main for 1 mile
- Refuge Entrance will be on the left.
Auto Tour Route, Kiwa Trail, Waterfowl Hunt Units
(1071 N. Hillhurst Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642)
- From Interstate 5 (both north and south) take Exit 14 for Pioneer Street/ Washington 501 W toward Ridgefield.
- Coming from the north turn right for NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- Coming from the south turn left for NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- At the traffic circle continue straight onto NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- At the second traffic circle continue straight onto NW 269th/Pioneer Street.
- At the stop sign on S 9th Ave/S Hillhurst Street, turn left. Drive approx .7 miles.
- Refuge Entrance will be on the right.
Activities
Get Involved
The refuge works with partners to offer opportunities to get involved in conservation both on-site and in surrounding communities. Volunteer opportunities change throughout the seasons and are often different from year to year. Check back here periodically to see if something new aligns with your interests.
To give the best service to community members dedicating their valuable time, staff take care to engage with volunteers in an intentional and quality way. This sometimes means we are not able to take on additional volunteers while we work on supporting current projects. We appreciate your patience and encourage you to work with other local community organizations if we are not able to offer you an opportunity.
Onboarding new volunteers in January of 2027!
Stay tuned for details. See position descriptions below to see what aligns with your passions and fill out the interest form linked below. No experience necessary. Just bring your enthusiasm for connecting people to nature! All volunteers go through an interview process and are required to provide references. Some positions require a background check.
Environmental Educators
Support communities in learning about nature exploration at the Refuge and in their backyards.
- Lead or assist with activities during school field trips
- Prep materials for education programs
- Lead guided walks and on-site programs
- Engage with people at local community events
Community Nature Center Volunteers
Welcome visitors, answer questions, and communicate about projects and plans happening within the Ridgefield
NWR Complex
- Engage visitors at Ridgefield and Steigerwald Lake NWRs on trails, in the new Nature Center, and at the
contact station to answer questions - Provide customer service, site orientation, and facilities upkeep
- Speak with visitors about current and future developments with the Nature Center and obtain feedback
and community vision for programming and facilities
Refuge Enhancers
Improve habitat to enhance wildlife health and the visitor experience.
- Remove invasive plants
- Maintain trails and facilities
- Maintain native plantings
Questions while you wait? Email RidgefieldVolunteer@fws.gov or call 360-887-4106.
Services
Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything we do from projects and research to the recreational activities offered. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.
At the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex a variety of tools are used across the four refuges to ensure healthy habitats for native wildlife. These management tools include:
- Habitat restoration
- Cooperative farming
- Agriculture
- Invasive species management
- Prescribed fire
- Conservation easements
- Inventory and monitoring
- Water management
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Complex Vision
We are ambassadors of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We connect people with opportunities to actively engage with the conservation of our local wildlife and habitats. Together, we will move the biological needle with purpose and sound science. As leaders in our communities of practice, we are collaborative, dependable, and focus on the growth of the community and ourselves.
Management and Conservation
Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) ensure that each refuge unit is managed to fulfill the purpose(s) for which it was established. The development of a CCP is a citizen-centered process. Developing long-term plans relies on public participation and input. Local communities, volunteers and Friends of refuges, state conservation agencies, and partners help guide refuge management through the development of each CCP. CCPs also provide an opportunity to improve and increase recreation critical to connecting people with nature.
About
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 to provide wintering habitat for the dusky subspecies of the Canada goose whose habitat is extremely limited. Since then, smaller pieces of land have been added to create what is now Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
Staff and partners strive to work with the community to restore and conserve Oregon oak woodlands, pastures and wetland habitats. These lands provide the perfect environment for state and federally protected species such as Columbian white-tailed deer, Sandhill cranes and other wildlife.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Vision
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a place where people of all abilities can experience nature and share their outdoor traditions with others. This island of habitat with its rich diversity of floodplain forests, freshwater marshes, and meadows, will continue to sustain thriving populations of wintering dusky Canada geese, migrating waterfowl, and other wildlife. With collaboration from our conservation partners, the refuge will apply sound, scientific principles to sustain the long-term ecological health and integrity of lower Columbia River floodplain habitats; expand environmental education; encourage participation in wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities; protect and interpret unique cultural resources; and foster natural and cultural resources stewardship. As the rural character of the landscape changes, the refuge will become even more important to wildlife and those seeking to understand our natural and cultural heritage. (CCP 1.9 pg 1-35)